Dodd was an early supporter of relaxing sanctions against Cuba.
Former Connecticut U.S. Senator Chris Dodd's name is being floated as a possible candidate to become the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than half a century.
Multiple media outlets are reporting that Dodd, currently head of the Motion Picture Association of America, is intrigued by the idea but he declined a request for comment Monday by Hearst Connecticut Media.
Foreign Policy describes Dodd "as a potential leading candidate" for the job, in part because Dodd was an early supporter of relaxing sanctions against Cuba.
Dodd is fluent in Spanish, and volunteered for two years in Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s. While in Congress, he was a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and led a Senate subcommittee on Latin America.
Any reluctance from Dodd may have to do with the political battle that awaits the next ambassador. Senate Republicans and presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have vowed opposition to any ambassador.
This is why I will oppose an ambassador to Cuba
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 6, 2015
--> http://t.co/9D6yBjQywS pic.twitter.com/B4Dnl68TH7
"I will hold any nominee President Obama sends to the Senate to be ambassador to Cuba, and I will work to disapprove any new funds for embassy construction in Havana unless and until the President can demonstrate that he has made some progress in alleviating the misery of our friends, the people of Cuba."
Until an ambassador is nominated and confirmed, Jeffrey DeLaurentis will be the top diplomat in Havana. He is also on the short list of possible ambassadors and has extensive experience working in Cuba dating back to the Elian Gonzalez standoff.
